


Warm Blood

by chainsawdog



Category: NeoScum (Podcast)
Genre: I tried to write something sweet and it turned into smut, M/M, Spoilers for the latest arc (episodes 75-77), Talk of Suicide, The first chapter is smut-free but the second isn't, talk of death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:48:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: The Neoscum have finally made it to LA, and are relaxing at Dak's beach bungalow. Tech decides it's about time he talks to Zenith about Z's disappearance.
Relationships: Zenith/Tech Wizard | Squirt Purpler





	Warm Blood

It’s sunset.  
  
The red-orange burnished sky fills the LA horizon, sitting on top of the calm grey-blue ocean. Zenith stands on the balcony of Dak Rambo’s beach bungalow, looking out at the scene. He’s leaning forward slightly, arms resting, crossed on the wooden railing of the balcony. From here, he can see some orcs practicing their rollerblading along the boardwalk. There are families heading to their cars, kids wrapped in colorful towels as their parents lead them off the beach into the parking lot, going home after a long day of sun, surf, and sand.  
  
Zenith watches, taking in the scene in silence, a small smile on his lips.  
  
‘Hey,’ a soft voice says, and Zenith jumps a little. He turns his head to see Tech Wizard joining him at the edge of the balcony, holding two drinks. He offers one to Z, who takes it.  
  
‘Hey,’ Z replies. He tastes the drink; it’s water with lemon wedges stuck to the rim of the glass, but it’s refreshing, and just what Z needed. As for Tech, he's making a good effort to stay sober. ‘Thanks.’  
  
Tech nods. He leans on the railing, facing towards the bungalow. Z turns around and leans his back against the rail, too. They stand in silence for a long while, sipping their drinks, taking in the serenity.  
  
‘For a while back there,’ Tech starts hesitantly, glancing at Zenith. He puts his now-empty cup on the deck, and stands back up. ‘I didn’t know if you were coming back.’  
  
Z watches him, trying to read Tech’s expression. Nervous, he decides, but there’s something else, and Tech won’t make eye contact. Z raises an eyebrow.  
  
‘I think you mentioned,’ he says quietly.  
  
Tech has – they all have, actually. It’s been the topic of conversation for the past few days, ever since Z “returned.” Finding him in the pod must have been a big shock, maybe more of a shock than his actual disappearance. Z hates that he worried them. Even though he didn’t have control over the situation, he still feels like he should have done something.  
  
Tech bites his lip. He wraps his arms around himself and blinks, as if trying not to cry. Z straightens up and squeezes Tech’s bicep, saying, ‘Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m okay.’  
  
Tech nods, and the tears come. Sniffling, trying to control his sobs so they don’t stop him from speaking, Tech continues. ‘I – I thought you were dead, Z,’ he says, and bursts into tears, real chest-heaving sobs that break Zenith’s heart into a million pieces. Zenith pulls Tech into a hug, letting Tech cry into his shoulder, one hand around Tech’s waist and the other stroking his hair, trying to soothe him. Z tells Tech that _it’s okay, everything’s okay, I’m here, I’m safe, I’m not going away again_ , but Tech keeps crying and Z knows he needs to get it all out. He hadn’t told Zenith this before, and there’s probably more to the story, and Tech will tell it in his own time. Z’s chest aches at the idea that Tech thought he was dead, rather than missing. How much harder must that have been to deal with? Pox and Dak had hope that Zenith was just missing – abducted, or something – but Tech… he must have felt so alone in that hopeless thought. Z hugs him tightly, and he’s crying now, too, tears streaming down his cheeks. He feels Tech’s arms wrap around him and squeeze, crushing Zenith in a way that’s more comforting than painful.  
  
Z isn’t sure how long the hug lasts, but eventually Tech is able to collect himself. Z’s drink dropped to the floor at some point – when he pulled Tech in for a hug? – but that doesn’t matter. Tech sniffs, and wipes his nose with the sleeve of his robe.  
  
‘I – I’m sorry,’ Zenith says. He hasn’t stopped crying yet, but he manages to talk. ‘I didn’t – I wasn’t –’  
  
‘I know,’ Tech says gently. His voice is rough from sobbing, and he sniffs again. His eyes are puffy, his nose red, and he still won’t make eye contact with Zenith. ‘It’s – It’s not your fault. I’m not upset with you.’  
  
Z nods. ‘I’m sorry,’ he says again.  
  
‘Stop,’ Tech shakes his head, and looks at Z properly, meeting his eyes. His bottom lip is quivering, threatening another storm of tears, but he takes a deep breath. ‘Stop saying sorry. It’s not your fault.’  
  
Z nods mutely, not trusting himself. He only wants to apologize, to take the hurt away from Tech and put it somewhere else.  
  
‘I – I was so, so scared,’ Tech stammers, and takes another calming breath. ‘I was scared that we’d – we hadn’t…’ he trails off, and sits on the floor, resting his back against the rails. Z hesitates, then crouches in front of Tech.  
  
‘What, Tech?’ Z manages to ask.  
  
‘That we hadn’t, like, noticed the _signs_ ,’ he says this word with such emphasis, like Z should know what it means.  
  
Tech’s silent long enough that Z has to prompt him with, ‘What signs?’  
  
Tech bites his lip. He fiddles with the sleeves of his robes. ‘I feel so stupid now,’ he mutters. ‘I mean, of _course_ you weren’t suicidal. You weren’t acting like a suicidal person but I ran over every interaction, everything you said and did since – since we met!’ He looks at Z, his eyes full of sadness, and laughs hollowly. ‘I thought we’d somehow missed warning signs, that you’d killed yourself. And the last fucking thing I’d have said to you was about fucking ice cream.’  
  
Z shuffles so he’s sitting beside Tech, and puts an arm around Tech’s shoulders. He thinks about what to say for a moment, as Tech rests his head against Z’s chest. ‘Well,’ he says slowly. ‘If – If I did, uh.’ He takes a steadying breath, and the next words spill out of his mouth in a rush. ‘If I’d killed myself it wouldn’t have been your fault, or anyone else’s.’  
  
He feels Tech flinch against him, and then Tech turns and pulls Zenith closer. He’s so warm against Z’s body, and Z tries to relax into the hug, resting his forehead in Tech’s hair.  
  
‘I don’t want to die, Tech,’ he continues in a small voice.  
  
‘Good,’ says Tech. ‘I don’t want you to die, either.’  
  
Z pulls his head away as he feels Tech move beneath him, and a second later they’re looking at one another. Z’s breath catches in his throat at the intensity of Tech’s stare, and he almost doesn’t register as Tech closes his eyes and leans forward.  
  
The kiss lands on Z’s unprepared lips, and Z’s too shocked to respond. He holds Tech’s forearms loosely, eyes wide in surprise. Tech moves back almost immediately, face burning red as he scrambles to his feet. He laughs awkwardly, then walks hurriedly through the sliding doors off the deck into the beach bungalow. Z raises a trembling hand to his lips, which tingle from the unexpected contact. He turns his head to look for Tech, but Tech’s already vanished beyond his line of sight in the bungalow, and Z’s left alone to figure out what just happened. He slumps back, knees raised, feet planted against the deck, arms resting at his sides, and head leaning back to look into the darkening sky.  
  
‘Huh,’ he says.


End file.
